Perpetrators behind farmers’, sugar industries’ woes to be dealt with

President Kenyatta has ordered the Agricluture CS to weed out individuals who are misusing funds meant for sugar industries and farmers

Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri has been directed to weed out perpetrators who are behind the financial woes of farmers and industries in the nation’s bread basket. This comes after persistent complaints by sugarcane and maize farmers and a continual decline of sugar industries in Western Kenya, most notably Mumias and Nzoia companies. President Uhuru Kenyatta has said the state can’t keep on releasing money which is squandered by a few individuals instead of benefiting the farmers.

Speaking at the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Bukhungu stadium in Kakamega, President Kenyatta said the government has pumped money to the sugar industries and yet the farmers are still complaining they haven’t been paid, “If you enter the factory, you’ll see that there isn’t any new equipment that has been purchased, so where is the money going to?…The money is being squandered by individuals and as we’ve said there is nowhere to hide,” he said sternly, adding that the perpetrators will be pursued and action will be taken against them.

He said that maize farmers have also been complaining recently about their pay, even though the government had factored their dues in the last budget, “We had more than Kshs 2 billion in our last budget to pay the maize farmers, but the following day you hear that the farmer hasn’t been paid,” he said, “Also, you hear that there is a farmer who delivered maize to NCPB worth Kshs 200 million, please, tell me who can claim to have maize worth that money?” He said the farmers are the ones suffering as they are sleeping hungry and their children aren’t going to school. “Agriculture CS Kiunjuri, we know that now the games are over, look for these people squandering taxpayers’ money and take action against them or else you will also face problems,” he warned.